Benjamin Netanyahu: ‘We left Gaza, we got terror’

A period of calm has created an economic boom for Palestinians in Ramallah, Jenin, and throughout the West Bank. Real peace can turn this boom into a tidal wave of progress and hope.

If we work together, we can take advantage of the great benefits afforded by our unique place under the sun. Our geography, history, culture, climate and the talents of our peoples can create unprecedented opportunities in tourism, trade, industry, energy, water and so much more.

But peace must also be defended against its enemies. We want the skyline of the West Bank to be dominated by apartment towers, not missiles. We want the roads of the West Bank to flow with commerce, not terrorists.

We left Lebanon, we got terror. We left Gaza, we got terror. We want to ensure that territory we concede will not be turned into a third Iranian sponsored terror enclave aimed at the heart of Israel.

That is why a defensible peace requires security arrangements that can withstand the test of time and the many challenges that are sure to confront us.

There will be many challenges, both great and small. Let us not get bogged down by every difference between us. Let us direct our courage at the historic decisions that lay ahead.

There are many skeptics. There are many reasons for skepticism. But I have no doubt that peace is possible.

President Abbas, we cannot erase the past. But it is within our power to change the future.

Thousands of years ago, on the very hills where Israelis and Palestinians live today, the Jewish prophet Isaiah and the other prophets of my people envisioned a lasting peace for all mankind.

Let today be a first step, however small, in our joint effort to realize that vision.”

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